Hmm ... from consumer to producer. What do y'all think?
I have an offer to shoot some men for a well-known chain of web sites and magazines. It pays pretty well and i am really interested in seeing if i can pull it off. I know what i like in adult images -- well, i know what i don't like, anyway -- but i'm not sure i can create exciting, hardcore images. I'll be doing a test shoot soon with some lucky brotha (he'll be getting paid at least $100 for the shoot), so i guess i'll have a better idea of where i am with the whole thing then.
And there's certainly no shortage of eager young men out there. I put out a few "feelers" over the weekend and got back at least 25-30 responses from guys who were interested in doing the adult nude shoot. Is it a rash of exhibitionism? Or is it the cash that's motivating folks?
In any case, i'm dying to see how this plays out. And i'm especially curious to hear from friends of mine with experience in the business ....
Monday, January 24, 2005
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Brother to Brother
I went to see the film Brother to Brother last night. It was cute. I don't mean "cute" in the way a little girl with ribbons in her hair is cute. I don't mean "cute" in the catty way some of us mean, "It really was nothing special." I mean "cute" as in "worth the effort" or "thought-provoking." (One word can have so many connotations, and without the voice inflection and body language....)
I enjoyed seeing the Director's vision of the Harlem Renaissance brought to life. In fact, i think that was the most valuable aspect of the movie. As told from Richard Bruce Nugent's perspective, the Harlem Renaissance becomes the mirror in which Perry Williams (the central character, played by Anthony Mackie) views his world.
Brother to Brother is about one black gay man's journey to find meaning in his relationships. Whether it is with his straight friend or a white sex partner or his father or himself, Perry is challenged to explore questions of identity, sexuality, and race. But his most meaningful and enlightening relationship, the one that becomes truly transformative for him, is born when he meets Bruce Nugent.
Giving Perry glimpses into his own past with Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and the like, Bruce (played expertly by Roger Robinson) is the one who holds the historical mirror for Perry to gaze into. Ultimately, Perry must find himself somewhere at the nexus of his relationships with other people, with his past, and with the rich legacy of the Harlem Renaissance that is revealed to him.
If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to watch for an appearance near you. The movie will also be available on DVD in June and an "edited-for-television" version will air on PBS sometime this year.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Monday, January 03, 2005
101 in 1001 (oh lord ... )
The "New Year" is here and already, i'm picking up on a meme. Of sorts. This one might actually have some impact in my life, though. As i see it, the infamous blackgayblogger challenged himself to complete 101 tasks in 1001 days, an idea picked up by the nefarious EJ, and apparently originated by a mad genius Kiwi photophile named Michael Green over a year ago.
More recently Kevin Harris opted to follow suit, but with 51 in 501. I suck at long-range planning, so i was going to go with boison and do the half-time thing. Then i got to reading Triplux.com (Green's site) and his explanation of why 1001 days is a workable, realistic time frame and i started realizing i was being a chickenshit about the whole commitment thing and so ... here they are:
The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (i.e., no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic, and stretching (i.e., represent some amount of work on my part).
The Timeline: This list was completed 03 January 2005, so 1001 days from now will be 01 October 2007.
The List:
And there you have it. I could not have imagined that it would be so difficult to come up with this list. It's taken me the better part of three days to do it. And the last ten or so i thought up (though not necessarily the last ten on the list) were damn near impossible. Some of them are frivolous, some quite engaging, but all have to potential to impact me in some great or small way.
They're set now; i won't change the numbering once it's published, though i may add links and other notes. I shuffled a couple of things around so they would be easier for me to keep track of, but they're really in no particular order. I'm counting on somebody out there to help keep me on task for the next couple of years or so. If nothing else, it should provide me a lot to blog about. In fact, i think i'll set up another blog just to keep track of this project. YEAH! Keep your eyes open for that update.
***UPDATE AS OF JANUARY 4, 2005***
I went ahead and did it! Click Here to check out my secondary blog, "Malik's 101 Things to do in 1001 Days." It should be a blast! (Nuclear, that is.)
More recently Kevin Harris opted to follow suit, but with 51 in 501. I suck at long-range planning, so i was going to go with boison and do the half-time thing. Then i got to reading Triplux.com (Green's site) and his explanation of why 1001 days is a workable, realistic time frame and i started realizing i was being a chickenshit about the whole commitment thing and so ... here they are:
Malik's 101 Things to do in 1001 Days
The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (i.e., no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic, and stretching (i.e., represent some amount of work on my part).
The Timeline: This list was completed 03 January 2005, so 1001 days from now will be 01 October 2007.
The List:
- Incorporate/register my company.
- Earn a 100% profit on BrothaLove Images over a 12-month period.
- Establish Flawless Men as a viable enterprise.
- Create comp cards for five of my models.
- Buy new light kits for my photography studio.
- Find a reliable way to get high-quality prints from my digital images.
- Present my photography at an APG Open Critique.
- Compile a portfolio of my 11 x 14 prints.
- Have images listed with a stock photography house.
- Submit my photographs to ten competitions or exhibitions.
- Photograph a celebrity.
- Sell 25 prints of my photographic work.
- Take one trip that is paid for entirely by my photography.
- Set specific goals for the year at my day job.
- Set a definite end date for my day job.
- Learn to cook ten new dishes.
- Finish editing Little Man -- give it a better title -- and submit it to five publishers.
- Successfully complete NaNoWriMo again.
- Submit my writing to ten competitions.
- Submit my writing to 25 paying markets.
- Write a non-fiction book.
- Finish a degree (or at least be enrolled and near completion).
- Have dinner at Imperial Fez.
- Get a real blog (i.e., MT-enabled and not a pre-set template).
- See ten "classic" movies i've never seen.
- Master PhotoShop and DreamWeaver.
- Unpack all my books.
- Read all the bell hooks volumes in my library.
- Read all the Ursula K. Le Guin books in print.
- Read five books recommended by five friends (one each), without objection.
- Walk barefoot on a sandy beach.
- Walk barefoot in the snow.
- Find a charity and donate to it monthly for 12 consecutive months.
- Make a list of my 50 favorite actors.
- Make a list of my 50 favorite singers.
- Make a list of my 50 favorite writers.
- Make a list of my 50 favorite models.
- Make a list of my 50 favorite photographers.
- Photograph 50 different men.
- Stop drinking coffee for a week.
- Stop cursing for a week.
- Learn enough Spanish to watch Como Agua para Chocolate without subtitles. (Stolen directly from Jason's #13.)
- Learn enough Maori to mail a letter and have it delivered accurately in New Zealand.
- Go nude in public.
- Get the cat neutered.
- Memorize the meaning of every card in the tarot deck.
- Give away all clothes i haven't worn in a year or more.
- Create five new jobs for other people.
- Get a full physical, including a prostate exam.
- Get an adjustment from a chiropractor.
- Redecorate the living room.
- Throw a party at the house.
- Talk to five friends whom i haven't spoken with in over a year.
- Tell one person i don't like -- honestly -- what i don't like about them.
- Write and mail 25 letters to family and/or friends.
- Do the Master Cleanse lemonade fast for 21 days.
- Bench press 150 pounds for eight reps.
- Develop visible six-pack abs.
- Go sky diving.
- Go bunjee jumping.
- Go ice skating.
- Get eight hours of sleep each night for a week.
- Write (and mail) letters to my three favorite authors.
- Re-view the entire Stargate SG-1 series on DVD.
- Send birthday cards to all my family members (as far removed as my second cousins).
- Apologize to Patricia.
- See all my cousins' children.
- Go 72 hours without using a computer.
- Go 72 hours without watching television.
- Complete one photographic project that does not include any people.
- Complete my Body Art project.
- Complete my Couples project.
- Complete my Tarot project.
- Complete my Calendar project.
- Walk from home to work or from work to home.
- Write one poem in every form i know of, including Blank Verse, Villanelle, Sonnet, Sestina, Clerihew, Limerick, Haiku, Sijo, Ghazal, and Eintou.
- Write Lifegiver.
- Write Swear to God.
- Complete my solo spoken-word CD project.
- Enroll in a photography/graphic arts education program.
- Have a session with a counselor/therapist/shrink to address my social anxiety.
- Buy 25 things from independent business people.
- Delete all the unnecessary files on my computer.
- Backup the files on my computer to CD-RWs once a month.
- Treat myself to a full spa treatment.
- Spend one night in each of five states. (Georgia and Michigan don't count.)
- Spend one night outdoors (tent acceptable).
- Play blackjack in a Las Vegas casino.
- Visit the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Visit Pueblo, Colorado.
- Visit Toronto, Ontario.
- Have sex in a foreign country.
- Get married.
- Buy a house.
- Recreate a scene from a porn movie in my own life.
- Experiment with BDSM.
- Get another tattoo.
- Get my nipples pierced.
- Fly a kite.
- Learn a math theory from Troy and apply it correctly.
- Anonymously do something for someone that will have a significant positive impact on her/his life.
And there you have it. I could not have imagined that it would be so difficult to come up with this list. It's taken me the better part of three days to do it. And the last ten or so i thought up (though not necessarily the last ten on the list) were damn near impossible. Some of them are frivolous, some quite engaging, but all have to potential to impact me in some great or small way.
They're set now; i won't change the numbering once it's published, though i may add links and other notes. I shuffled a couple of things around so they would be easier for me to keep track of, but they're really in no particular order. I'm counting on somebody out there to help keep me on task for the next couple of years or so. If nothing else, it should provide me a lot to blog about. In fact, i think i'll set up another blog just to keep track of this project. YEAH! Keep your eyes open for that update.
***UPDATE AS OF JANUARY 4, 2005***
I went ahead and did it! Click Here to check out my secondary blog, "Malik's 101 Things to do in 1001 Days." It should be a blast! (Nuclear, that is.)
Sunday, January 02, 2005
PEOPLE OF THE YEAR!!!
According to ABC News, it's US, folks. They've named bloggers their People of the Year for 2004.
Y'all are so hot!
For those who are averse to external links, here's the full text of the article:
Dec. 30, 2004 — A blog — short for "web log" — is an online personal journal that covers topics ranging from daily life to technology to culture to the arts. Blogs have made such an impact this year that Merriam-Webster named it the word of the year.
"There's a blog for every niche. There's a blog for every interest," said technology writer Xeni Jardin, who co-edits the blog boingboing.net.
Dylan Verdi, an 11-year-old known as the world's youngest videoblogger, says she covers "things that I've seen that I like or that I've heard of, or just anything that happened to me that day that I'm thinking."
There are millions of blogs on the Internet — a new one is created every seven-and-a-half seconds. More than 10,000 new additions are added to the "blogosphere" each day.
Firsthand Reporting on Asian Tsunami Catastrophes
This week, their influence has become readily apparent. Dozens of bloggers have been filing firsthand reports from the areas devastated by southern Asia's deadly tsunamis.
"There is kind of an immediacy that people can relate to — can't help but relate to that in a very intimate way," said Jardin.
"Day three," one blogger writes from the scene, "this may be an unexpected challenge and responsibility, and it hurts to see people in pain. But it's also a remarkable experience to be on hand to do something modest, but useful, in the aftermath of a disaster."
Bloggers around the world have made themselves useful, encouraging donations to relief groups, posting the names of the missing and expressing sympathy for the victims.
Expanding Political Coverage
As a driving force in politics this year, bloggers covered the 2004 presidential campaigns and election. Political candidates also used them as valuable campaign tools.
"The Internet taught us, rather than the other way around," said former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean.
This year, for the first time, bloggers were permitted to cover the national political conventions firsthand.
Bloggers have taken the lead over traditional media on a number of stories, including racist remarks made by then-Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., at former Sen. Strom Thurmond's birthday party.
"Suddenly the mainstream media, the nightly news, on all three networks and on cable, picked up the story and the papers picked up the story and the next thing you know, Trent Lott's resigning and gone," said Democratic strategist Joe Trippi, who masterminded Dean's groundbreaking online campaign efforts.
Some of the most compelling images of 2004 found their way to blogs first, from the Florida hurricanes to the war in Iraq. It was a blogger who got the first photographs of coffins carrying U.S. soldiers arriving in the United States from Iraq.
But for Verdi, it is the simple pleasure of knowing that someone is listening that makes blogging worthwhile.
"On my blog it allows people to post comments, and I have gotten comment upon comment upon comment," she said. "It makes me feel really good that somebody else cares about what I have to say."
ABC News' Elizabeth Vargas filed this report for "World News Tonight."
Y'all are so hot!
For those who are averse to external links, here's the full text of the article:
Dec. 30, 2004 — A blog — short for "web log" — is an online personal journal that covers topics ranging from daily life to technology to culture to the arts. Blogs have made such an impact this year that Merriam-Webster named it the word of the year.
"There's a blog for every niche. There's a blog for every interest," said technology writer Xeni Jardin, who co-edits the blog boingboing.net.
Dylan Verdi, an 11-year-old known as the world's youngest videoblogger, says she covers "things that I've seen that I like or that I've heard of, or just anything that happened to me that day that I'm thinking."
There are millions of blogs on the Internet — a new one is created every seven-and-a-half seconds. More than 10,000 new additions are added to the "blogosphere" each day.
Firsthand Reporting on Asian Tsunami Catastrophes
This week, their influence has become readily apparent. Dozens of bloggers have been filing firsthand reports from the areas devastated by southern Asia's deadly tsunamis.
"There is kind of an immediacy that people can relate to — can't help but relate to that in a very intimate way," said Jardin.
"Day three," one blogger writes from the scene, "this may be an unexpected challenge and responsibility, and it hurts to see people in pain. But it's also a remarkable experience to be on hand to do something modest, but useful, in the aftermath of a disaster."
Bloggers around the world have made themselves useful, encouraging donations to relief groups, posting the names of the missing and expressing sympathy for the victims.
Expanding Political Coverage
As a driving force in politics this year, bloggers covered the 2004 presidential campaigns and election. Political candidates also used them as valuable campaign tools.
"The Internet taught us, rather than the other way around," said former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean.
This year, for the first time, bloggers were permitted to cover the national political conventions firsthand.
Bloggers have taken the lead over traditional media on a number of stories, including racist remarks made by then-Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., at former Sen. Strom Thurmond's birthday party.
"Suddenly the mainstream media, the nightly news, on all three networks and on cable, picked up the story and the papers picked up the story and the next thing you know, Trent Lott's resigning and gone," said Democratic strategist Joe Trippi, who masterminded Dean's groundbreaking online campaign efforts.
Some of the most compelling images of 2004 found their way to blogs first, from the Florida hurricanes to the war in Iraq. It was a blogger who got the first photographs of coffins carrying U.S. soldiers arriving in the United States from Iraq.
But for Verdi, it is the simple pleasure of knowing that someone is listening that makes blogging worthwhile.
"On my blog it allows people to post comments, and I have gotten comment upon comment upon comment," she said. "It makes me feel really good that somebody else cares about what I have to say."
ABC News' Elizabeth Vargas filed this report for "World News Tonight."
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